Out of the Shadows, my Guardian Angel
by Sarcastic Innocence
Summary: With the death of the Empress, and the AX dissolved, can Katherina Sforza save her childhood hero, who is now murdering Terran and Methuselah alike, from the insanity and amnesia that spawned from the sorrow of his sister’s death?
1. Mass Murder

**Out of the Shadows, my Guardian Angel**

**By Kyomi Terakada **

**With the death of the Empress, and the AX dissolved, can Katherina Sforza save her childhood hero, who is now murdering Terran and Methuselah alike, from the insanity and amnesia that spawned from the sorrow of his sister's death, before the Empire hunts him down?**

**Pairings: N/A**

**WARNING: Extreme spoilers. You have been warned.**

_Thoughts are in italic._

* * *

**_Prologue _**

"In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, for crimes of rising against us, murder, and taking blood from us… I hereby arrest you…"

"You're no priest. What a joke! You people just keep persecuting our kind."

"You're right. Krusnik 02, release of restrictions to 40, confirmed."

* * *

_**Currently**_

Four years later, the world has started to destroy itself. The AX has been dissolved, along with the death of the new Pope Francesco, and the death of the Empress Augusta Vradica. Abel Nightlord has been accused of the Empress's murder, and the Empire declares war on the Terran. Abel Nightlord has been missing for four years, to appear accused, just to disappear into the darkness once again.

Two years pass, as the war between the Empire and Terran continue. The two remaining human countries, Albion and Germanicus, struggle to keep their land.. Abel is presumed dead to all but Queen Esther and the ex-AX members.

* * *

_**Chapter One: Mass Murder **_

"A… A monster!" he screamed. A tall, thin winged figure and a short boy stood in the opening of the alley, their features cloaked by the shadows.

The taller one broke into a grin, his fanged teeth glinting in the moonlight. "That's not a nice thing to be called, so why in the Lord's name would you call me that?" He charged at the Methuselah, pressing his teeth into his neck, while holding the shoulder to keep the vampire still. The Methuselah struggled to get free while screaming in agony, then turned limp. His eyes rolled back, and dropped to the ground. The shorter boy stayed at the entrance of the alley, watching with an amused smile. When the taller man turned around, the shorter boy walked to his side. "Ion," the taller said. "We shall split, to cover more ground. Leave neither Terran nor Methuselah alive. We shall meet back at the church when dawn breaks, and that is when we shall take our leave." Ion nodded, and the two parted ways, leaving only a black feather from the wings of the other man.

"Ah, Sister Kate," Katherina Sforza greeted her warmly when Kate's hologram appeared before her. "Has there been another mass murder?" Kate solemnly nodded. "Once again, all that was left in the town were bodies of humans and vampires, with their blood all drained. Like the other towns, there is no liquid blood left in the area. As usual, black feathers have been found all over the town in various places. This man seems to be extremely well at hiding himself, while revealing himself," Kate reported. "It's as if he only wants certain people to know his identity," she continued. Katherina nodded. "I see. Is this all that we have found out?" "Unfortunately," the nun replied. "All the citizens of the town have been slain. And it was only during one night, and obviously this man strikes in the darkness; no one has made it out alive and reported if they have seen the man or not." The former cardinal frowned.

Meanwhile, Ion and his companion have found themselves in another town, much larger than the last. "Ah, I'm so hungry," whined the man, brushing a strand of silver hair from his eyes. Ion just laughed. "Shall we find some food then?" The man nodded vigorously. "Yes, please; we must!" The odd two walked into a café. "Smells so good!" the man cried. They found a table, and the silver-haired man took off his jacket and hung it on his chair. The waitress walked by, and with a cheerful smile, said, "Hello! Nice weather we're having today, no?" The two nodded. "So what can I get you today?" "Well…." The silver-haired began.

"Ah, so I see you're a priest," the waitress said to the taller when she returned with the food the two men had ordered, seeing the cross sigma on his outfit. "Yes," he answered. "My name is Peter Sahl, I'm traveling with this orphan, teaching the world about the light of God." Ion's eyes filled with confusion, but still, he nodded in agreement. "Eh, but the Vatican was destroyed two years ago!" the waitress exclaimed. "There's no reason to be preaching about the Lord anymore…" He smiled. "Well, it's always nice to know that there is someone watching over us all, isn't there? Mm, I'd like also a milk tea, with thirteen lumps of sugar, please." The waitress took a double take. "Thirteen?!" she exclaimed. "You're going to die from a sugar overdose if you pull stuff like that!" She sighed. "Alright." He smiled and shifted his eyes to her name tag. "Jessica, huh?" he asked. "I remember years ago, I met a girl that seemed to be just like you."

The night fell quickly in this town, and not long after Ion and the man left the café, darkness had begun to spread across the sky like a blanket with shimmering diamonds, and a glittering mirror of a moon. The two walked into the town square, to plan their night. Ion turned to his partner suddenly. "Father Nightlord, is it really alright to lie to that girl Jessica like that?" Abel shrugged. "I may be a Father, but I've never said I was religious, now did I?" Ion laughed slightly. _It's best if he doesn't remember his past. Not just yet. It may affect his goal,_ he thought to himself. "Same plan as last night, no?" Ion asked. Abel nodded. "Until we find Cain." He responded icily, as he took off his glasses and once again transformed into his 80 Krusnik form.

"Joanna, hurry; hide!" Sister Sarah said. The Vatican may have been destroyed, but all the churches had decided to keep running, opening their doors to the travelers and orphans. They kept their hospitality, as a way of saying that like the Lord, they will be always giving to those in need, and will watch over those who are alone, or afraid. They will be protected by the church, and if they would like, stay and do the same when they are older. The church found this an honorable way of pleasing the Lord, while not getting in the way of the Terran or Methuselah.

Twelve year old Joanna, an orphan since she was born, shuddered and squeezed her eyes shut, terrified by the screams of agony that were heard from outside the church, in the city. Sister Sarah pulled Joanna tight, and whispered quietly, "I have gotten a way to go to Rome. You shall find Katherina Sforza, and ask for her to take you in. Now hurry, hide, so they may not find you!" Joanna ran from the church, clutching the money the Sister had given her, and her locket necklace. Once the child was gone, Sister Sarah stood up, and walked toward the cross. "Dear Lord," she began. "Watch over the child Joanna, and keep her safe until she reaches her destination. Bless her with your presence, so she may grow into a beautiful young woman. I pray that you shield us from the murders who are-" "Here to take your lives," A voice said behind her. A pair of fangs bit into the Sister's neck, and with her scream, she fell limp, dead. A smile of malice appeared on the Ion face. "Amen."

"This is the last place." Ion said. Abel nodded, his red eyes scanning the area. "Was she the last person?" The blonde inquired. Suddenly, out of the corner of the chapel, a woman dressed in white appeared, running towards Sarah's body. "Sarah," she cried. "What happ..." the nun stopped. She looked down to see a red scythe pierced through her heart, and she fell over, dead, her blood pooling around her, flowing rapidly from the wound. "We must take our leave now." Abel commanded. "The sun will be rising soon." He transformed back into himself, and quickly tied his hair back up with his black ribbon. Ion nodded, and silently followed Abel out.

Joanna, coming out of her hiding place from behind the cross, ran towards the two nuns. "Sister Sarah! Sister Jacqueline! Please! Answer me!" she exclaimed, choking on her tears. She saw something glint on the floor, a few feet away from her. It was a small cross. Joanna picked it up and remembering what Sister Sarah had said before, wiped her eyes, and without looking back, ran to the place the Sister had instructed her to go.

"Hey, Father. Was it necessary to kill even the church like that?" Ion asked, as they began their trip once again. "Yes." Abel answered coldly. "We mustn't let anyone live." The Empire is out to kill me, as is the Rosen-Creuz Orden. I cannot let anyone who has seen me live." Ion nodded, but deep inside, he knew though Abel had now a cold demeanor, he was afraid; very afraid. There was nothing that could be done, until revenge was exacted.

Four days had passed since the murdering of everyone in one of the Germanican churches, and Katherina had begun to get worried. This was the first time that a town with a church had been attacked, and furthermore, it was massacred as if it was just a normal town. Sister Kate appeared before Katherina once again. "News has come in that the last attack was aimed mainly at the church." Kate announced. Katherina stayed silent, her expression as cold as stone. "We must find this man right away." Katherina ordered. "Please find the AX members and tell them to come here as soon as possible." Kate bowed, but before she disappeared, a maid knocked on the door. "Lady Katherina, a child is here to see you. She says she is from the church that was attacked for days ago." Katherina turned to Kate, and Kate nodded. "Send her in," Katherina said, sighing. A sobbing child walked in, rubbing her tear-filled eyes with the heels of her hands. But what she was holding in her hand was the thing that made Katherina gasp. Joanna held tightly to the silver cross. "I… I'm from the church that was attacked a few days ago. S…Sister Sarah instructed me to come here and ask for your hospitality, right before she was killed." Joanna, noticing that Katherina and Kate were staring at the cross in her hands, continued. "The killer was a man with silver hair that stood up in a strange way, and he had blood red eyes, with black wings and wore the clothes of a priest. He dropped this as he left with a blonde boy. As well as this…" Joanna reached into her bag and pulled out a long black feather, which she handed with the cross to Katherina, who gently put them on the table. "Of course you may stay," Katherina smiled warmly at the girl. She turned to the maid. "Please find Miss Joanna a room." The maid bowed and with a soft "This way, please," led the girl out of the room.

"Abel…" Katherina mumbled. Kate blinked. "What did you say, ma'am?" she asked. Katherina picked up the feather. "This is definitely Abel's. Plus, the cross is the exact same one that I gave him when AX was first founded." She turned the cross to the back, and ran a finger down the silver, fingering the engraving.

At that exact moment, Abel cried out in surprise. "AH?! My cross is gone!" Ion raised an eyebrow. "What cross?" Abel blinked. "Well, it was a cross I've had for a while now. I can't remember who gave it to me though. But it has the word "Nightlord" engraved on the back, and I really liked that cross!" Abel pouted. Ion sighed, and looking forward, said, "There's nothing we can do about it. We are approaching the next town, and I'm getting hungry. We may get there by this evening."

"Thank you for all coming." Katherina began. "You may all be wondering why I have called you here." Sister Kate, standing beside Katherina, bowed. "We have found the identity of the man who has been killing the citizens of many towns, and we must find him as soon as possible."

"Hey Ion, this town seems familiar." Abel muttered, walking down the streets of a town in ruins. "It's Rome." Ion replied. "You used to live here." Abel blinked. "I did? In such a wrecked place?" Ion looked at him, shocked. "Cain destroyed this place a while ago. There are still people living here, though." "Won't be enough… Unless…" Abel pointed to a large mansion on a hill overlooking the city.

"Or rather, before he comes and kills us all."

* * *

_End Chapter One_


	2. Their Prayers

**Out of the Shadows, my Guardian Angel**

**By Kyomi Terakada **

**With the death of the Empress, and the AX dissolved, can Katherina Sforza save her childhood hero, who is now murdering Terran and Methuselah alike, from the insanity and amnesia that spawned from the sorrow of his sister's death, before the Empire hunts him down?**

**Pairings: N/A**

**WARNING: Extreme spoilers. You have been warned.**

* * *

_**From Kyomi to you**_

Gah, it's been forever since I started this, hasn't it? Finally getting off my lazy ass to starting the next chapter. In other news, I've got a hold of Trinity Blood volume two. And that makes me really happy. So I have an idea of how I want this story to go now.

Enjoy -bows-

* * *

_**A little catching up needed? Here's the summary of the last chapter.**_

An amnesiac Abel Nightroad, now teamed up with Ion, wanders from town to town, killing Methuselah and Terran. They now arrive in Rome. Abel has forgotten completely about his past in the AX. However, a child named Joanna had managed to escape to Rome to warn Katherina.

* * *

_**Chapter Two: Their prayers **_

Queen Esther was worried. News had come to her that a duo of vampires had been slaughtering cities. She sighed. Her country had also been in turmoil, for they were struggling to keep the Empire's army from invading. Esther had no time to go visit Rome and ask Katherina what was going on. She walked to her bedchambers. The large red and white room seemed empty, as she remembered Katherina's office back in the AX. There were always people, and every day seemed like an adventure. Now… it was always just her, or when there were people, it was just a bunch of maids who would never want to talk to her, fearful that they would say something wrong. Esther smiled. They reminded her of the late Pope Alessandro XVII. He was always unsure of what to say. She looked down at her hands. For a second, the sleeves on her arms seemed to be stained red. She rubbed her eyes. It was gone. The sight of Alessandro dying in her arms would never leave her mind. Esther walked over to her desk, and taking out a piece of paper, she decided to write a letter.

* * *

_Dearest Katherina,_

_I have heard about the deaths. Have you learned who has been doing such things yet? Astharoshe Athrun has come to live here in Albion, and we are trying hard for the Empire to not take over._

_Ah, back to the killing. Last I heard, the men are by your area. I hope you take care of yourself, and may God bless you._

_A Sister in the Lord's eyes for eternity,_

_Esther Blanchette_

* * *

Back in Rome, Katherina had organized all of her ex-AX members together. Esther's letter lay on the table infront of her. "Seth's death must have put Abel in such a shock." She began. "He's the one who's been killing everyone. I've heard that Ion's with him, as well." The Professor raised an eyebrow. "Does anyone know where he is now?" Katherina shook her head. "He moves in the morning but strikes at night. That's all we know."

Finally, Katherina thanked them once again for attending, and sent them on their way. Only Sister Kate remained. Kate noticed Katherina's now worried face. "Is something the matter, ma'am?" Kate questioned. Katherina shook her head and turned to look out the window. Though Rome had been destroyed, the view was still as beautiful. The ruins of statues and fountains still remained, and some buildings still stood in the rubble. "Somehow…." Katherina mumbled. "Somehow, I have a feeling that Abel is here in Rome," She whispered. "How do you know?" Kate asked. Katherina shrugged. " Call it a sixth sense. It's just a feeling; I may be wrong." Katherina moved towards the door. "Please excuse me. I'm not feeling well today." Kate nodded. "May the Lord be with you."

* * *

The sun was going down. Katherina sat in her room, looking once again, out the window. 'Soon…' she said to herself. 'Soon, he'll be here.'

Katherina dressed quickly. Though her outfit had been quite elaborate, she was already used to wearing it with ease. She sneaked out of her mansion, and hurried to Lillith's tomb. It had been over 900 years since Lillith was buried there, but Lillith's body was still the young woman Abel had fallen in love with nearly a century before.

The clock hit 9. The sun had completely gone down. Katherina sat by Lillith's side. "Lord, watch over this city. Give me the power to be able to get to Abel's mind, to free him from his inner turmoil," Katherina prayed. "Keep us safe, and wash Abel's sins, he is one of your children, and it is the temptation of the devil that is driving him so. Amen."

A scream pierced the night. It suddenly died down. The killing had begun. "So Abel really is here!" Katherina exclaimed to herself. She was excited, and extremely afraid.

"Shall we begin?" Abel asked his partner. Ion let go of the woman he had just killed and nodded. "Leave no one alive. We shall meet when the sun rises." They parted ways.

Abel found himself infront of a strange entrance. The door had been opened, so he entered cautiously, his black wings trailing behind him, his scythe scraping across the ground. He entered what seemed to be an underground laboratory. There was a capsule in the middle of the room, and a woman in red was asleep, leaning against it. Abel moved toward the woman. A loud click of his boots awakened her from her sleep. Her eyes slowly fluttered open, and she looked up, straight into Abel's eyes.

Abel stopped. The woman slowly and gently rose to her feet, dusting off her dress, and tugging at places where the fabric had bunched up. She lifted her eyes to lock into his once again. "What has happened to you, Abel?" The woman asked quietly.

"I…" Abel began. He dropped his scythe and transformed back into himself. "Why does it seem like I've been here for eternity?" He stepped one foot forward. "Why do I have a feeling I know you? This is the first time we've met…" The woman reached out her hand. A silver cross lay in her palm. "Abel, please remember…" Abel reached for the cross. His mind suddenly was flooded in memory.

* * *

_A ten year old girl ran down a path to the tomb, her eyes filled with fear. Closely behind here were a few Methuselah, each with a blade. "Please, someone!" she exclaimed. Abel looked up to see the little girl standing infront of him in fear. The three assasins appeared behind her. Abel slowly stood up, and the girl closed her eyes, not sure what would happen next. In a moment, Abel stood before her, his face and white clothing streaked with blood, his silver hair hanging straight down to his back, smiling kindly at her. "Thank you," the girl said. "My name is… _

* * *

_" _Lady Katherina…" Abel mumbled, as he stumbled and fell forwards into the woman's outstretched arms.

* * *

_End of chapter 2_

* * *


	3. The Ghost of the Past

**Out of the Shadows, my Guardian Angel**

**By Kyomi Terakada **

**With the death of the Empress, and the AX dissolved, can Katherina Sforza save her childhood hero, who is now murdering Terran and Methuselah alike, from the insanity and amnesia that spawned from the sorrow of his sister's death, before the Empire hunts him down?**

**Pairings: N/A**

**WARNING: Extreme spoilers. You have been warned.**

* * *

_**From Kyomi to you**_

This chapter will be the chapter that patches all the holes. Questions like, "Why is Ion doing this?" and "What happened to Seth?" will be answered.

Hopefully.

And just so you know, Katherina is the spelling in the episodes I've watched. I like this spelling, so if you don't like it, deal with it. It's just a spelling. ;p

I take forever to write, don't I? D:

* * *

_**Chapter Three: The Ghost of the Past**_

A young boy with silver hair sat in the Ark, orbiting the Earth. He looked out the window, his eyes entranced by the blue and green colors that were in the large orb of a planet. He stared at the white swirls that moved slowly and fluidly. Another boy appeared at his side. The silver haired boy smiled at his companion. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" The other nodded. "More beautiful than when we were down there. It's a shame it's filled with pitiful Terran," he commented.

A little girl, about four years old, ran to the window. "I can't see! Let me see, let me see!" She looked up at her brothers, her olive eyes wide and hopeful. "Cain-niisan, Abel-niisan! Please?"

"You'll be as tall as them soon, Seth," a voice laughed. A tall woman with red hair appeared behind them. She shifted her white clothing slightly, so it wouldn't get caught, and gently lifted the green-haired little girl so she could see through the window.

"Wow!" Seth exclaimed. "Pretty!" She clapped her hands in delight. "Will we be down there again soon?" The woman laughed. "Of course."

The silver-haired boy turned back to the window. When he turned around again, the woman lay dead, and he saw himself running and grabbing his brother. Seth appeared, and pushed a button. He jumped back, and Cain fell down to the Earth in a glass-sealed capsule.

He ran to the woman's side. "Lillith, Lillith!" He cried and buried his face into her body. Her body slowly became cold, and the area surrounding him slowly became darker and darker. He heard a scream. When he looked up, he found himself in a room filled with computers. Lillith lay in a large glass bubble-like coffin. He turned his head to where the scream was from. A young girl ran towards him. A blink of an eye, and the Methuselah lay dead at his feet, their blood splattered on his white clothing and pale face. She smiled slightly. "Thank you," she said.

Before his eyes, she had grown into a beautiful woman, and now a leader. A short haired man walked out from behind her, his red eyes glowing. "This is Tres," she said. "He the best creation the professor has made at the moment. Tres will assist you in your missions, if necessary." The silver-haired one nodded. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

A girl appeared at his side. "Miss Esther Blanchett", Tres said, nodding. "Miss Astharoshe Athrun," the gunslinger turned to greet the woman who entered the room.

The silver haired one closed his eyes. When he opened them, a young girl's body dressed in green lay on the floor. A taller man held her decapitated head by her hair. The man felt rage filling inside him. "CAIN!" he shouted in uncontrollable fury, charging at the other individual.

He heard soldiers behind him. "Our target is a tall silver haired man in priest clothing, glasses. He is responsible for the Empress's death. Find him, and bring him back, dead or alive." The sound of boots. "Yes sir!"

A short boy appeared before him. "What will you do?" The man heard himself speak. "Come with me. I will find him, no matter what."

"What? Killing innocent civilians, innocent Methuselah! You cannot do this!" The boy exclaimed. "I will not let you!"

The man turned, a sharp glare at his companion. "Would you like the Queen to die? If not, you better come with me. The minute you disappear on me, I will kill her in a heartbeat."

He sighed. The world was getting so confusing. Out of all the towns he had searched, still, nothing. He leaned against a tree and closed his eyes, trying to block the sharp pain that had slowly entered the side of his head. When he opened his eyes again, a woman dressed in red stood before him. "Come," she said kindly. "The Lord will forgive your sins, Abel." She smiled. "Shall we wake up?" The silver haired man weakly nodded and stepped into the Cardinal's embrace.


	4. Awakening realization

**Out of the Shadows, my Guardian Angel**

**By Kyomi Terakada **

**With the death of the Empress, and the AX dissolved, can Katherina Sforza save her childhood hero, who is now murdering Terran and Methuselah alike, from the insanity and amnesia that spawned from the sorrow of his sister's death, before the Empire hunts him down?**

**Pairings: N/A**

**WARNING: Extreme spoilers. You have been warned.**

**From Kyomi to you:**

* * *

I managed to get Trinity Blood volume 3 while ago, and may I say, I'm quite excited and can't wait to finish the manga series!

I've read up to volume 5 on the internet, but I couldn't find the rest, and I guess, after a while, I just gave up.

I've been losing inspiration lately, though I managed to get the novel into my collection as well.

The novel's really good, better than the anime, so if you have the time (and/or money), please, do check it out

Anyway, without further ado, here is chapter four of "Out of the Shadows"!

* * *

_**Chapter Four: Awakening realization**_

Lady Katherina sat in a large room, its large windows on the left wall looking out into the sea nearby. She leaned back into the back of the plush chair. A pot of tea sat before her on the glass table, but she paid no mind; her eyes focused on the orange rays of the sun.

Finally, she let out a long sigh and turned back to her tea. The cardinal poured herself a cup. Her hand moved towards a small silver pot of sugar cubes. Katherina lifted the lid, picked out a cube and dropped it into her tea with a _plink_. A soft buzzing noise announced Sister Kate's entrance as her hologram appeared fuzzed, then focused into her form.

"I believe this isn't your usual blend of chamomile, lemongrass, honey, peppermint and quince, this time?" Katherina asked as she picked up her teacup. The nun smiled. "I've chosen something more simple for you today, ma'am." The cardinal tipped the cup gently towards her lips and took a sip. "Rose?" She asked as she placed the teacup back on its plate. Kate bobbed her head slightly.

The nun watched as the cardinal took another sip. "If only Abel was here to have tea with me," she heard Katherina mumble.

Abel's eyes slowly fluttered open.

The silver haired priest pushed himself so he was leaning on the wall in a sitting position.

The room he was in was quite empty. Apart from the bed that he was sleeping on, there was a chair where a black jacket was draped on and an empty table with a lamp sitting on it. The room was painted white, but he could see that it had been either a room which had doubled as an insane asylum, or just that no one had cared about it for quite a while. Long cracks ran down the yellowing walls, the paint chipping off the most where the cracks were. The pillow on which he had been sleeping on was hard but deformed, the windows were barred, the glass behind the rust-covered metal rods cracking.

Abel tried to stop a shudder that bubbled up inside him. He pulled off the hole-filled blanket and swung his feet onto the cold concrete floor. The priest quickly picked up his boots that stood at the foot of the bed and pulled them on. He tapped each foot on the ground to make sure they fit snugly; then slipped into the jacket. He opened the door.

Before the priest could even step into the hall, a short haired man in priest's garb appeared before him. Abel heard a click beside his head. "Father Abel Nightroad, Lady Katherina requests your presence. Please come with me," said a familiar mechanical voice.

Abel followed the gun-wielding priest down the hall, into a room. The room seemed as if it was taken out of the royal Albionian palace. A large glass mirror hung on the walls of the room's right side, reflecting the sea and trees that were outside the large windows on the left, making the room look even larger than it already was. The remaining two walls were painted a dark red; the ceiling was a pure white. A cream-coloured pattern circled the room, a pattern of angels.

A long chandelier hung from the ceiling, lighting up the room as the clouds tried its best to block the sun's rays from entering the room. The carpet was thick, the pastel greens, blues and oranges of the flowers drowned by the wine red base.

And there, on the burgundy sofa sat a blonde haired woman. She was dressed in a dress, the color so red it could have been dipped into fresh blood. A large hat the same colour as her dress rested on the table, next to a large silver teapots, a bowl of sugar and a small pitcher of milk. The woman smiled warmly.

"Lady Katherina," the priest beside Abel spoke mechanically. The woman nodded and raised a hand and motioned to the couch opposite of the one she was sitting on. "Please, sit." She waited for the silver haired priest to take his seat. The cardinal noticed he did so, but very cautiously.

Katherina tried to smile again. "Would you care for some tea?"

Abel's mouth twitched into a half smile. "That would be nice," his reply was short and simple, but Katherina knew he wanted to say more.

The cardinal lifted up the teapot and poured him a cup of tea. The sweet smell of roses filled the air around them. The silver haired priest silently picked up the teacup. He absentmindedly placed one, two, thirteen sugar cubes into the cup. The steam from the cup clouded his glasses when he raised it up to his face, but the priest didn't seem to notice.

"With so much sugar in that, you ruin the flavour of the tea," Katherina said softly, but the priest didn't hear.

A knock on the door. A nun clad in the purest white entered, placing a tray of sandwiches and small cakes. Katherina smiled at the nun and nodded with a "thank you". The nun smiled in return and excused herself with a bow.

The cardinal picked up one of the sandwiches and bit slightly into it. "Are you wondering why I've called you here?" she asked him quietly.

The priest looked into the cup in his hands. He placed it back on the plate and stirred it slightly, keeping his eyes from her.

"Abel, are you alright?"

A soft voice sparked a memory.

_Abel…_

The priest looked up.

"I'm sorry, please excuse me."

Abel stood up and exited the room, leaving a surprised cardinal.

Since she had found him, for the while that he had been in the mansion, for the time that she had talked to him, for the time they had tea together…

She had not noticed that Abel's eyes had been a fresh blood red.


	5. And it begins again

**Out of the Shadows, my Guardian Angel**

**By Kyomi Terakada **

**With the death of the Empress, and the AX dissolved, can Katherina Sforza save her childhood hero, who is now murdering Terran and Methuselah alike, from the insanity and amnesia that spawned from the sorrow of his sister's death, before the Empire hunts him down?**

**Pairings: N/A**

**WARNING: Extreme spoilers. You have been warned.**

* * *

_**Chapter Five: And it begins again**_

* * *

The moon shone brightly in the velvet blue sky. Stars twinkled, but still, in this calm scenery, Katherina did not feel at ease.

It had been a few hours since Abel had excused himself from her office, yet he hadn't returned. However, there really was no one left in what had been Rome. The war had destroyed the city. The remaining survivors had fled for their lives two years ago, and with only a handful of members that had been the AX living here now, there would be no deaths tonight.

But yet, the cardinal still felt as if something would happen. Would it be good? Would it be bad? She pressed her hand to the glass and looked up. Large white snowflakes drifted down to the ground. "It's December already…" she mumbled.

"_Oh Lord, how long has it been?"_

The silver haired priest found himself once again infront of that strange entrance. The door was once again opened. Step after step, he walked into that large underground room.

The soft whirring of machinery filled the room. Strange, they were still running. Wires connected the machinery at the back wall to the capsule in the middle. "It's made of glass," Abel thought to himself.

He peered inside.

A red haired woman slept inside that capsule, seemingly asleep, yet as Abel looked at her, he noticed she wasn't moving as she slept.

"He's like Cain," Katherina mumbled to herself.

"Did you say something, ma'am?" Sister Kate turned around at the sound.

Katherina shook her head. "It was nothing."

* * *

The pillars the priest leaned on were of traditional Roman style.

A ruined courtyard with tall columns, decorated at the tops, handcrafted, no doubt, to have such detail, Abel hadn't seen anything like that in years.

Statues of whoever that armless person was surrounded a tall statue of Mary.

Fragments of coloured glass glittered o the floor, and a few paces away, Abel saw the remains of a destroyed church.

White snowflakes floated down from the sky. The priest looked up and smiled slightly to himself.

"Hey, why is the Earth so white?" Seth had asked once. The four of them stood in the Ark, hands pressed to the window.

"It's because it's December in this part of the world," Lillith replied.

"De..cem…ber?" Seth repeated. Lillith simply laughed. "Yes, December. In some places, it's the time when snow falls."

"Snow? What's that?"

Lillith laughed again. "You've seen it before, have you forgotten? It's white and falls from the sky."

"Oh! The white cold stuff!" the little girl exclaimed. "Lillith, can we see snow again?"

"Who knows? Maybe it'll snow for us when we go down to Earth someday."

"All of us? Together?"

Lillith nodded. "Yes, together."

"I wonder if Seth ever got her wish," Abel sighed.

"_But it wasn't all of us together…"_

* * *

"Tres, did you notice anything weird?" Katherina asked the gunslinger, her eyes still looking up into the sky.

"I beg your pardon, Lady Katherina?" Tres asked.

"Anything weird with Abel, I meant," Katherina answered, a little too quickly.

"Yes, I noticed something strange with Krusnik," Tres responded.

"What was it that you noticed? Please tell me in detail."

"Affirmative. I noticed that Krusnik's personality has changed greatly from one of a, pardon the lack of term, happy-go-lucky man to one of seriousness and coldness."

Katherina sighed and resisted the urge to bang her head against her desk. "I knew that much, Tres," she replied.

"One more thing, Lady Katherina."

"I also noticed that Krusnik's eye colour had changed," Tres continued.

"Oh?"

This was getting interesting. "Please elaborate, Tres."

Tres nodded. "Father Abel's eyecolour is normally a winter blue."

"Yes, and?"

"When you requested to see him, when I brought him here the day before, his eyes were red. Visible sign of Krusnik activation was detected that day."

Katherina sighed again. "And why didn't you tell me this?"

If Tres could blink blankly, he'd probably do it about now.

"I thought you noticed."

* * *

The city of Rome really had gotten quite silent.

Amidst the ruins, really, everyone was gone.

Not even the slightest scratching of a mouse scurrying to its home.

Abel looked up into the sky once again.

"_What has happened while I was gone?"_

* * *

"You mean it's because he had activated the Krusnik at one hundred percent?!" Katherina exclaimed.

"Yes. It was the same reason Contra Mundi turned the way he did," Sister Kate answered.

"But it was the only way…" Katherina trailed off.

"Hm? The only way?" the Professor asked.

"The only way he could've been revived," Katherina mumbled.

Sister Kate put her hand on the cardinal's shoulder. Though the nun was a mere hologram, the cardinal flinched at her touch.

"I'm sure Abel can fight and win against his other self," Kate said kindly.

Katherina could only nod and smile weakly.

"I hope he can too."


	6. Inner Demons

**Out of the Shadows, my Guardian Angel**

**By Kyomi Terakada **

**With the death of the Empress, and the AX dissolved, can Katherina Sforza save her childhood hero, who is now murdering Terran and Methuselah alike, from the insanity and amnesia that spawned from the sorrow of his sister's death, before the Empire hunts him down?**

**Pairings: N/A**

**WARNING: Extreme spoilers. You have been warned.**

* * *

**Message from Kyomi**

Ohmygosh, Trinity Blood is now on the site mangafox! I've been waiting for this moment for quite a while now, actually. xD;

Though it may be online, please be considerate and buy the official manga ;

Unfortunately, this is the last chapter. I hope you've enjoyed it so far.

I'm planning to enter this into a fanfiction contest, please wish me luck!

* * *

_**Chapter Six: Inner demons**_

_The sun had began to rise into the dark sky. Dawn. The end of a successful, or, in the cases of some, unsuccessful hunt for those of the night._

_The predators would return to their dens, either contempt or hungry at that time. They'd sleep and wait until the sun went down…_

_And it would all begin again._

_But, what if there were no more prey where the predator was?_

_Would the predator starve?_

_Would he move to another place to continue to hunt?_

_Perhaps, if all he knew was to kill._

Red eyes glowed in the pitch darkness.

Abel knew he clearly wasn't awake, but there was something strange about those eyes that looked at him. The priest heard a demonic laugh.

"So you're finally awake, Abel."

Silver hair.

Black wings.

Krusnik.

"Where am I?"

Krusnik grinned. "Pardon the cliché, but we're in your conscience. You know, you've been asleep for a long time. Cities perished because of you."

Abel stepped back. "What? How? I haven't slept for very long," he protested. Krusnik just smiled. "Do you know where we are, Abel?"

The priest shook his head.

"Currently, we are in Rome, but not the Rome you knew."

"What—what happened?" Abel could not see what the glorious city he used to live in looked like now, but he knew that this other half would not lie to him.

"You have been asleep for a very long time," a woman appeared beside Krusnik. She smiled at him.

"L—Lillith!" Abel exclaimed. The red-haired woman nodded. "It's been a while, hasn't it, Abel?"

"What happened though? Still, no one told me!"

"It started with my death," a small voice spoke. Empress Augusta Vradica stepped into the circle, on Krusnik's other side.

"You wouldn't believe it, no matter what happened. You know who killed her then, but refused to believe that it was true," Lillith explained.

"One day you just didn't wake up, and I broke free," finished the Krusnik. "If you didn't believe, I wouldn't either. I was driven by your insanity and acted like a blood- deprived Methuselah. You'd still be asleep now, and another city would have been destroyed by me if we didn't manage to somehow get to Rome."

"Ah…"

"Do not worry, Abel. What is done, is done. You did not know," Lillith smiled sadly. "Is there anything you can still do?"

"I don't know…" the silver haired priest mumbled.

"Rise your head and look forwards, Abel. Think of the future, not of the past. Days will come and go much quicker that way," the red haired woman said. The empress nodded in approval.

"Now, Abel, it's time to wake up. Someone is looking for you."

The three of them turned and walked away.

* * *

"…bel. Abel, can you hear me?"

A soft voice spoke.

"Abel, where are you?"

The priest's eyes opened slowly. In the light of the setting sun, he saw a woman in red rush around worriedly. "Abel? Abel! Are you here?" she called.

Katherina Sforza noticed something shuffling in the shadows of the ruined church. She turned towards the darkness.

Winter blue eyes stared down onto her as a tall silver-haired man stepped towards her. His long hair hung straight over his shoulders and down to the middle of his back.

"Once again, you've come out of the shadows," Katherina smiled, blinking back tears.

"I'm sorry for all the damage I caused," the priest said quietly. "I don't know what got me that way."

Katherina shook her head. "As long as you are safe, nothing else matters at the moment."

"Shall we return home? I have a person I'd like to introduce you to. She's the one who told me you were still alive."

"Oh? I thought everyone died in the past few cities," Abel smiled sadly.

"_Think of the future, Abel. Not the past"_

"But I'd love to meet her," Abel said, nodding.

As the two of them turned towards their home, Katherina smiled to herself at a memory.

"_Unlike those who come with rays of holy light, once again, like the first time I met him, my guardian angel steps out of the shadows."_


End file.
